ZURICH, (Reuters) – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated on Saturday that they were trying to get the release of a group of Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), staff members detained in eastern Ukraine.

“The OSCE is extremely concerned that a number of SMM national mission members have been deprived of their liberty in Donetsk and Luhansk. According to the OSCE’s media office, it is making every effort to release its personnel.

In an address https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/devastation-caused-by-russias-war-uk-statement-to-the-osce–2 to the 157-member body on Friday, Britain’s deputy ambassador to the Vienna-based OSCE, Deirdre Brown, criticised Russia for refusing to extend the SMM’s mission in Ukraine beyond March.

Brown stated in the British government’s address that “Russian proxies are now threatening Mission staff and equipment in Donbas and that Russian forces had taken SMM staff captive.”

In March, the OSCE stated that it had evacuated close to 500 mission personnel from Ukraine.

According to the OSCE media outlet, SMM moved into an administrative position as of April 1. This is to assure the safety and security mission members and assets across Ukraine.

The SMM assisted the Ukrainian National Staff in their efforts to move to safer locations.

It said that contact with the national mission personnel continues on a daily base, in particular to determine their whereabouts, and to assist them, as much possible, should they choose to relocate.